Lead, Organization & Talent

The J.M. Smucker Co.; Orrville (OH); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Co. in Orrville, OH is seeking an Organization and Talent Lead to partner with HR and business leaders on people strategies that strengthen capability, engagement, and performance.

You will lead talent initiatives, performance processes, and organizational effectiveness in a hybrid role with 35% in-office work, helping translate priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 3+ years in HR, talent, organizational development, or related fields.
• Experience supporting leaders in a consulting, client-service or HR generalist role.
• Experience delivering performance management and talent initiatives like reviews and succession planning.
• Experience coordinating HR programs with multiple stakeholders and using HR data to drive decisions.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of financial metrics driving the business.
• Ability to manage priorities and deliver high‑quality work with strong collaboration.
• Clear written and verbal communication with facilitation and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships with leaders and HR partners across functions.
• Translate business priorities into actionable work plans and timelines.
• Manage projects from planning to completion and escalate risks as needed.
• Provide guidance on programs, policies, and HR practices to balance objectives.
• Support workforce planning, role design, and organizational changes.
• Coordinate with Finance and Talent Acquisition to align actions with priorities.
• Prepare materials for talent reviews and succession planning processes.
• Lead change initiatives and track progress with stakeholders.
• Analyze workforce data and translate insights into actions.

Skills

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Project management

HR systems

Data-driven decisions

Strategic thinking

Coaching & feedback

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master’s degree in HR/Organizational Development

Tools

Workday

Job description

Your Opportunity at the Organization and Talent Lead

Support the delivery and management of people strategies and programs for assigned business areas. Collaborate with Organization Business Partners, business leaders, and partners in HR to translate business priorities into people strategies that strengthen capability, engagement, performance, and organizational effectiveness. Coordinate hands‑on execution of work, monitor progress, use workforce insights, and support leaders while developing and delivering business‑partner capability. Partners closely with the Director, Talent & Executive Development to support the end‑to‑end delivery of key talent priorities including performance management.

Location: Orrville, OH

Work Arrangements: Hybrid, 35% in office expectation

In This Role You Will

Business Partnership & Work Delivery

• Build productive relationships with leaders and HR partners across supported functions and HR; fair, objective, and balanced member of both teams, not one or the other
• Learn the business strategy, operating priorities, workforce needs, and organizational opportunities of assigned areas and drivers of the whole business across Corporate and manufacturing functions
• Help translate talent and organizational priorities into clear work plans, deliverables, timelines, and follow‑up actions, in close collaboration with partners across HR and the business
• Manage assigned work from planning through completion, escalating risks, barriers, and decisions when appropriate
• Provide practical guidance to leaders using established programs, policies, tools, and HR practices that effectively balance both functional and enterprise objectives

Workforce Planning & Organizational Support

• Support workforce planning, role clarification, and organizational structure discussions by preparing information, coordinating inputs, and tracking actions
• Assist with role design, staffing changes, restructures, and other organizational transitions such as achievement of financial metrics, headcount management, and synergies under the direction of the Organization Business Partners
• Coordinate with Finance, Talent Acquisition, and other partners to help align workforce actions with business priorities
• Maintain accurate documentation and follow‑through for organizational and workforce decisions

Talent, Performance & Leadership Support

• Support leaders with performance management, employee development, career conversations, talent reviews, succession planning, and team effectiveness
• Prepare materials, data, and follow‑up actions for talent reviews and succession planning processes
• Help identify development, engagement, and retention needs and coordinate solutions with the appropriate HR partners
• Reinforce consistent use of performance, talent, and leadership practices across supported teams
• Provide coaching within established guidelines and involve an Organization Business Partner when the situation requires broader judgment or influence; promote a “clear is kind” approach to providing employees with regular feedback

Change & Organizational Effectiveness

• Support change initiatives by coordinating plans, communications, stakeholder input, training, and progress tracking
• Help leaders and teams adopt new processes, structures, and ways of working; serve as a role model and ambassador for change and effectively “bring others along” the change curve
• Identify opportunities to improve collaboration, role clarity, employee experience, and team effectiveness; role model for effectively bringing people together toward compromise and practical, “best balanced decisions”
• Contribute ideas and innovative solutions to business and people challenges; serve as a “bold thinker” and thought partner to the business and HR
• When needed, provide support to sub‑teams or dedicated workstreams on large, complex enterprise projects, from strategy to execution

Data, Reporting & Workforce Insights

• Prepare and review workforce data such as headcount, turnover, engagement, talent, and other HR metrics
• Identify trends, summarize findings, and translate data into practical observations and recommended actions
• Maintain trackers, dashboards, and recurring reports that support business and HR decisions
• Use HR systems and tools accurately and partner with others in HR to resolve data or process issues

Talent Management Execution

• Partner with Talent to help deliver the work required against identified talent initiatives such as objective setting, mid‑year reviews, year‑end reviews and talent assessments
• Help lead Workday testing by creating test scenarios, testing the system functionality, documenting issues and partnering with others in HR to resolve them
• Serve as a project manager on identified talent initiatives/projects – ensuring successful delivery to defined stakeholders; at times, this includes independently producing the supporting materials needed to advance the work through project timelines (e.g., Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint decks, meeting summaries, written announcements, talking points, cross‑functional project plans, etc.)
• Monitor completion, resolve routine issues, and elevate concerns that could affect quality, timing, or employee experience
• Communicate program requirements, timelines, and responsibilities clearly to leaders and managers

Minimum Requirements

What we are looking for

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• 3 + years of progressive Human Resources, talent, organizational development, employee relations, HR operations, or related experience
• Experience supporting leaders or managers in a business-facing, consulting, client-service, or HR generalist role
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in the Talent area supporting the delivery of performance management and talent initiatives such as talent reviews and succession planning
• Experience coordinating and delivering HR programs, processes, or projects with multiple stakeholders
• Experience using HR systems, reporting tools, and data to organize work and support decisions
• Developing strong business acumen and the ability to connect people practices to business needs; understanding of the financial metrics that drive the business
• Ability to independently deliver high‑quality work, manage priorities, and follow through on commitments
• Strong relationship-building, customer service, and collaboration skills
• Practical problem‑solving skills and the judgment to recognize when escalation is needed
• Clear written and verbal communication, facilitation, and presentation skills with ability to “rise above the noise” and constructively work to synthesize disparate ideas and opinions into a succinct summary of action items that progressively advance the work
• Ability to independently organize projects, coordinate stakeholders, and manage timelines and details
• Comfort working with workforce data and translating information into useful insights
• High level of subjective judgment, professional maturity, and emotional intelligence; ability to handle confidential information
• Adaptability and willingness to learn in a changing and sometimes ambiguous environment
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, high‑performing, and values‑based culture

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required)

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or a related field

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.